Fence-post.



JAMES E. HAEFEY, oE TIEEIN, oHIo.

FENCE-POST.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed August 17, 1905. Serial No. 274,587.

. To all whom, it weary concern;

bined reinforce and strand-wire supporter therefor.

The object of the invention is in a novel, cheap, and practical manner effectively to brace a concrete fence-post against possibility7 of breaking Linder ordinary conditions and, further, to improve the manner in which the strand-wires are combined therewith.

With the above and other objects in view, as will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in the novel construction and combination of parts of a concrete fence-post and a combined reinforce and strand-wire supporter therefor, as will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and in which like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a view in vertical section through a fence-post, exhibiting the combined reinforce and strand-wire supporter of the present invention combined therewith. Fig. 2 is a perspective detail View of the reinforce and strand-wire supporter detached. Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of aslightlymodified form of reinforce and strand-wire supporter.

Referring to the drawings and to Figs. 1 and 2 thereof, 1 designates an ordinary concrete fence-post, which may be made in the usual or any preferred manner and with which is assembled the combined reinforce and strandwire supporter,(designated generally 2,) forming the essential feature of the present invention. The reinforce and strand wire supporter comprises, preferably, in a one-piece structure, a twisted reinforcing member 3 and a flat or straight wire-supporting member provided at intervals in its length with strandwire-holding elements 5, of which there may be any desired number, the spaces between which graduallydecrease from the upper end to the lower end of the post. While this latter disposition of the holding elements will be preferred, it is to be understood that if found of advantage the spaces between all of them may be equal, or the arrangement may be transposed-that is to say, the spaces between the elements may gradually increase from the upper end to the lower end-and as these obvious modifications will be apparent detailed illustration thereof is omitted. As above stated, the reinforce and wire-supporter is preferably made of a single piece'of metal, although this is not essential, as it may be made of two or more pieces suitably assembled and still be within the scope of the invention. The members are held spaced apart an appropriate distance by upper and lower bends 6 and 7, which are herein shown as being disposed at right angles to the length of the members 3 and 4, the lower end being provided with a down- Ward-projecting extension 8, which is secured to the member 3 by a rivet or bolt 9 at some distance above the lower enil of the member 3, it being designed in practice that the member 4 shall terminate at the ground-line or slightly below the same, while the member 3 will extend to the lower end of the post. The holding elements 5 are in this instance produced by strikingout lengths of the member 4 and curving them to the appropriate shape to receive the strand-wires 1l), (indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1,) the metal intermediate of the ends of the orifices formed by the holding elements being indented or depressed, as at 11, to form seats in which the strandwires will rest, and thus beheld against tendency'of moving upward. To secure the strandwires in position, the elements 5 may be bent over the wires and against the outer side of the member 4, or the free ends of the elements may be projected through 'the crests of the orifices 12, formed by separating the holding elements from the member 4, as shown at 13. While it will generally be preferred, from astand point of economy and readiness of manufacture, to have the holding elements integral parts of the member 4, if preferred they may be made as separate elements and secured to the said member in any preferred manner without departing from the spirit of the invention. In order to prevent any outward movement of the member 4 from the post due to pressure upon the strand-wires, a plurality of keepers or locking members 14 are employed, in this instance three, each of which consists of a length of heavy wire or bar of metal, one end of each of which is inserted through an orifice in the member 4 and is upset or clenched, as at 15, and the other end of each of which is formed into a hook or loop 16, in which the member 3 is disposed.

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When the reinforce and strand-wire supporter is combined with the post, as shown in Fig. 1, the member 3 is disposed centrally and longitudinally thereof, while the member 4 lies flush with the outer face thereof, the seats 11 being sunk into the body of the post, as shown in Fig. 1. rlhe upper bend 6 in this figure is shown as disposed some distance below the top of the post; but this is not essential. as it may be located either a greater or less distance from the top, as found necessary or desirable.

In the form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 the only departure from that shown in Fig. 2 is in the arrangement of the keepers or locking members 17, which instead of being provided at one end with a hook or loop to inclose the member 3 are passed through the member and upset or riveted at 18, the opposite end 19 being upset in the same manner as that described in connection with Figs. 1 and 2.

By making the member?) twisted it is rendered more rigid and will be better adapted for resisting ordinary strains than if it were fiat. so that a metal of thinner gage may be employed than would be possible if the member were constructed fiat, as above defined. Furthermore, by twisting the metal of the member it will take a firmer hold upon the concrete of the post and render its separation therefrom impossible.

To render the positioning of the post in the ground more stable in character, the lower portion of the former may be provided with longitudinal depressions or channels 19, into which the earth will take, and thus operate to secure the objects designed.

The improvements herein defined are simple in character, will be found thoroughly practical for the purposes designed, and the article as a whole may be manufactured without the necessity of the employment of eX- pensive andintricate machinery for the purpose.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1.` As a new article of manufacture, a combined reinforce and strand-wire supporter for concrete fence-posts, embodying a twisted reinforcing member, an approximately fiat strand wire supporting member having member of less length than the first-named member and secured thereto and having strand-wire-holding elements adapted to be clenched around thestrand-wires, and keepers secured to and connecting the two members.

3. As a new article 0f manufacture, acombined reinforce and strand-wire supporter for fence-posts comprising, in an integral structure, a twisted reinforcing member and a flat strand -wire-supporting member connected therewith and carrying strand-wire-holding elements. v

1. As a new article of manufacture, a combined reinforce and strand-wire supporter for concrete fence-posts comprising a twisted reinforcing member, a fiat strand-wire-supporting member, the two members being held spaced apart by bends at their upper and lower ends, the lower'bend being secured to the reinforcing member, keepers each having one end secured t0 the supporting member and its other end formed into a hook or loop that engages the reinforcing member, and flexible wire-holding elements carried by the supporting member.

5. The combination with a concrete fencepost, of a combined reinforce and strand-wire supporter embodying a twisted reinforcing member disposed centrally of the post, keepers connecting the two members, and strandwire-holding elements carried by the supporting member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES F. HAFFEY. Witnesses:

FRANK T. DORE,

RALPH W. FACINGER. 

